Rhucle – Colourless

Black and white aside from a pink lead, Rhucle’s latest offering, “Colourless,” certainly reflects its title in its design. Yet to describe the pieces contained therein as anything other than vibrant would do the album a disservice. From the calming stasis of “Night Glow” to the swells of “Flat Zone,” from the solemnity of “Y” to the distant farewell of “Emergence,” Colourless glows and shimmers with elegance so rarely found.

Rhucle’s approach throughout is highly ergonomic; the pieces contain little more than synth pads and unassuming melodies adorned by simple harmonies. Though this particular angle on ambient music quickly exposes poor composition, it also rewards thoughtful textural and melodic choices. Rhucle is doubtless excellent throughout Colourless on both counts, invoking the cavernous, unwinding soundscapes of Lawrence English and the unassuming organic purity synonymous with Stars of the Lid. To get lost in Colourless is to discover the beauty of simple forms, to drown in the warmth and security of ambience.

Colourless is available in a limited edition of 50 cassettes from A Giant Fern.